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Jan 26, 2012

Republican gives OPB $50,000, citing "Moyers and Company"

Oregon Public Broadcasting received an unexpected $50,000 gift on Wednesday (Jan. 25), from a longtime donor who has "given consistently but nothing on that level," OPB President Steve Bass told Current. And here's a twist: The contributor told an OPB staffer that he's a registered Republican, and that one of the programs he especially enjoys is Moyers and Company, the latest show from veteran newsman Bill Moyers, widely considered a progressive voice.

Several pubTV execs recently told the New York Times that PBS declined to carry Moyers's latest program, which is distributed by American Public Television, because PBS "did not want to realign itself with Mr. Moyers, a longtime target of some conservatives, as it was fighting to keep its federal financing."

The drect quote at the end of the story is not attributed by name and that's never ideal, but often unavoidable. But should you really attribute it to "several PubTV execs"? Did they all say the quoted passage in unison? If several said something along those lines, paraphrase without using a direct quote. If you're going to use a direct quote, attribute it to a PubTV exec who does not wish to be named or something along those lines.

Mark, the quotation marks reflected the phrasing of the New York Times report not a direct quotation from a person Those execs declined to have their names on the record. I have several sources who told me the same thing in regards to Moyers's show. It's unfortunate that so many sources within public broadcasting won't allow themselves to be identified in print; reasons vary.